Hey Guys! I was filming a new video in the early morning a while back, I normally send the Mavic Pro up to scout the area before filming the final shots with the Phantom 4 Pro.

Well one of the locals wasn’t very happy to have me flying in their territory which nearly resulted in me loosing the Mavic!  

The Peregrine Falcon hit the Mavic pretty hard and actually stopped it recording, fortunately it didn’t do any damage to the drone or the bird and I was able to land safely.


The falcon hung around and photo bombed a few of the Phantom shots as well, shame I didn't have a faster shutter set but still a pretty cool picture I think.

Scary. Awesome video and picture.

Altogether, a rather super photo!  I sympathise with you regarding the drone damage, because I live on a small island and the gulls there, are known to be agressive. I do steer well clear of them, but you have no chance to duck and dive away with a falcon on your tail. You just wouldn't see it coming. Seeing pics like yours is inspiration and the reason I enjoy aerial photography.

Woe Posted at 2018-1-6 08:56
Scary. Awesome video and picture.

Thanks, yeah it gave me a bit of a surprise. The bush is very thick around that area, I don't think I'd be recovering the drone if it had crashed.

The Mavic kept flying right? don't mess with a Mavic.

Scary stuff but glad all is OK with all the birds. Great shot!

Very cool to capture that on fiilm

Nice! save that one but be careful about birds of prey... they could take down the drone, you could take them down... or both.

I had a similar experience with a red shoulder hawk a while back with my P3P.

I read that the best thing you can do if you know a bird is attacking is to go straight up.  Birds don't do that too well.

Oops.
You were lucky

Very nice video. May I ask what video editor you are using? I'm using Magix but it's impossible to speed up a part of a clip.

wow - yr video clip and photograph image is excellant

StanfordWebbie Posted at 2018-1-6 12:46
I read that the best thing you can do if you know a bird is attacking is to go straight up.  Birds don't do that too well.

Good tip. Couple of times I saw a flock of birds working their way toward my craft when I quickly increased altitude, they kept their course.

возможно, для птиц возмущение, сделать его похожим на ОС. Ярко-желтые и черные полосы по всему телу и лука. Как вы знаете, этот цвет в природе работает хорошо. Большинство животных и птиц, видя такую окраску, предпочитают не вмешиваться. Никто не пробовал? Это эффективно?

MiniPalourde Posted at 2018-1-6 13:19
Very nice video. May I ask what video editor you are using? I'm using Magix but it's impossible to speed up a part of a clip.

I use Final Cut Pro, speed ramps up and down are super simple on that.

Alexei Merinov Posted at 2018-1-6 17:41
for repelling birds, I'm tempted to color the mavik. Make it look like a wasp. Bright-yellow and black stripes throughout the body and rays. As you know, this color in nature works well. Most animals and birds, seeing such a coloring, prefer not to mess with. Nobody tried it? Is it effective?

Sounds like a good idea, I don't think it would stop a big wedge tail eagle though, come to think of it every bird we have in Australia seems to want to try and kill my drone. I've had magpies, crows, eagles, hawks, seaguls even little swallows pester it constantly and I'm sure if I flew low enough the emus would go for it as well

Glad everything turned out ok!

Wow! You got some serious flying and editing skills! If you had one tip to give me to improve my flying and create videos like this, what would it be?

Shoot It WA Posted at 2018-1-6 19:17
Sounds like a good idea, I don't think it would stop a big wedge tail eagle though, come to think of it every bird we have in Australia seems to want to try and kill my drone. I've had magpies, crows, eagles, hawks, seaguls even little swallows pester it constantly and I'm sure if I flew low enough the emus would go for it as well

As well as my multirotors I fly r/c slope soaring sailplanes. When a wedgetail eagle shows up that that is bigger than my 2 metre sailplane it's time to land. I have claw marks on the canopy of one model.

Interestingly enough, I have found that the best evasion tactic is a dive and a loop... birds do not seem able to follow this manoeuver.

Pity my Mavic Pro can't loop de loop though

* Hex *  

Now I am going through have nightmares on my next flight

impressed me !
Tagged as DIGEST

Noah Pitzer Posted at 2018-1-6 21:43
Glad everything turned out ok!

Wow! You got some serious flying and editing skills! If you had one tip to give me to improve my flying and create videos like this, what would it be?

Thanks! Practice makes perfect, get out and fly as much as you can, watch some Youtube tutorials and find a video style that works for you.

If you are after quality cinematic styled shots try to film in "the golden hour" just after sun up and before sundown.
Use ND filters (especially on the Mavic.)
Plan your shots, look on google earth before you head out to the filming location or spend some time flying the area to work out the most interesting points to film.
Mix up your shots, usually no one wants to watch 5 minutes of footage from the same angle. You don't have to fly really complex movements to make interesting footage, just have a look on Youtube and see what others are doing then get out and practice them.
Try to make smooth slow movements, especially if you are speeding up footage a small shift will look like a sharp jerking motion when sped up.
I like using the cinematic mode for higher speed shots and tripod mode for slower more precise work (you do need to be careful using these modes because the drone is slower to respond to your commands)
Shoot in D-Log or D-cinelike, It looks really flat and boring straight off the camera but comes up a treat when you colour grade in post production.
Speaking of colour grading, try using LUT's (Mlut from Motion VFX is a good free plug in for Final cut pro) they take a lot of the work out of colour grading footage.

Thats a bit more than one tip but hopefully it helps

Shoot It WA Posted at 2018-1-7 03:49
Thanks! Practice makes perfect, get out and fly as much as you can, watch some Youtube tutorials and find a video style that works for you.

If you are after quality cinematic styled shots try to film in "the golden hour" just after sun up and before sundown.

Thank you!